


Get out of the Kitchen

by Atchamb7



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Baking, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben admires Rey, Ben is mad, Ben shows up whenever he wants, Chef Ben, Chef/foodie blogger au, Child Neglect, Classic Volkswagen beetle, Couch Cuddles, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Food, Food Blogger Rey, Food Critic, Food Poisoning, Food Porn, Friends conference, Getting to Know Each Other, Guy Fieri - Freeform - Freeform, Holiday Baking Championship, Holidays, HomeGoods shopping, Implied Sexual Content, Leia is the boss, M/M, Meet the Family, Once Upon a Time (TV) References, Past Child Abuse, Redeemed Ben Solo, References to Friends (TV), Rey Kenobi, Rey is strong, So is Jyn, Thanksgiving Dinner, Unkar plutt is not a good guardian, World Travel, always together, ben is intrusive, ben solo returns, diners drive-ins and dives - Freeform, don't fuck with rey, farmers market, first thanksgiving with a family, food interview, food shopping, foodie Rey, more tags to come, nearly living together, public shaming, so is amilyn, sunflowers are the best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 20:10:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20748044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atchamb7/pseuds/Atchamb7
Summary: Ben is an arrogant New York City chef always striving to be the best chef in the world and running its top kitchen.Rey is an ever popular rising food blogger paying her way through school.When Rey gets invited to dine at Ben’s restaurant by his sous chef and follows it with an unexpected review on the restaurant. Ben is determined to make her remove the post by challenging Rey. A very bad decision on his part.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New fic! Thanks to my beta, Alicia! Let me know your thoughts!

* * *

Rey parked her bug outside her building and headed up the flight of stairs to her apartment. She held her to-go box in hand as she unlocked her door with the other. She dropped her book bag on the table and tossed her keys into the bowl. 

She grabbed a lighter out of the drawer and walked over to her table, placing the to-go box down and grabbing a star-shaped candle to top it. Rey lit the candle and closed her eyes, making a wish as she blew out the candle. 

The phone rang.

“Rey-Rey! Meet me at the farmers market tomorrow! I have some big news… and oh! Happy birthday.”

*** 

“Shut up! You didn’t! You’re totally lying to me Poe Dameron!” 

“I’m not lying to you, Rey. You are the official holder of a 6:30 reservation to _ Ren _ this Friday night.”

Rey’s eyes bugged out of her head as she walked through the farmer’s market with Poe Sunday morning. 

“How on Earth did you manage this?” she asked, grabbing his bicep as he tried to inspect the local tomatoes.

“Babe, you’re looking at the sous chef to one of the hottest chefs in New York City, as declared by Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 and People Magazine’s Sexiest Chef Alive. Plus, it helps when the maître d’ is your boyfriend.” 

Rey couldn’t stop smiling. It had been her dream to eat at _ Ren _ since she’d moved out to New York and became a food blogger. That’s what she did - she wrote about food - at least for now. She found blogging was a great escape from her hectic school schedule, and since she was sponsored by one of the most popular women’s magazines in upstate New York, she was paid to do so. 

Resistance Publishing reached out to her shortly after she started her blog. They raved on how much they enjoyed reading about her love for food and life and they wanted to sponsor her and feature her blog in their magazine. All she’d have to do was meet a certain word limit per week and she could do whatever she wanted with it - creative freedom. 

Her writing often landed on trying new recipes or reviewing restaurants for the magazine. She wouldn’t call herself an expert, so she avoided giving advice to her readers, but she enjoyed reading the comments or getting pictures of people trying the recipes themselves. 

One of her favorite days after being sponsored was getting a check delivered from one of her editors. 

_ Jyn Erso was rough around the edges when Rey first met her, but turned out to be very kind-hearted. She dropped by Rey’s small apartment one day and told her they were going shopping. From the pictures they’d seen in Rey’s blog, she was in desperate need of some new kitchenware. And as apparent by Rey’s ability to make furniture from pallets and other thrown out or recycled things, she didn’t have the money to replace her cookware herself. _

_ “Jyn, I can’t afford anything fancy, what I have gets me by,” Rey said as she crouched into the driver’s seat of her 1967 yellow Volkswagen Beetle. _

_ Jyn looked at her skeptically then directed her to the HomeGoods not far from the home office’s location. They entered the store with a list of new things Rey was to buy, including pots, pans, cooking sheets, and utensils and tools. As Rey and Jyn shopped, Jyn gave Rey tips of picture taking, table setting, and general things that would grab a reader’s attention and bring them back for more. _

_ “Oh, I almost forgot,” Jyn said as she reached into her large bag to retrieve something, she pulled out a camera and Rey’s jaw nearly fell to the floor, “you’re going to need this. Can’t keep taking professional pictures on your iPhone.” _

_ “I, uh- you- I...” Rey stuttered over her words trying to find the right amount of appreciation to express to Jyn. _

_ “Don’t sweat it kiddo. Just don’t let us down.” _

_ “I won’t,” Rey said confidently as Jyn hailed a cab and waved goodbye to Rey. _

That was seven months ago and according to Amilyn and Leia, Rey continued to produce good work and her readers loved her. She was one of the most popular new blogs, and only continued to receive praise and success. 

*** 

Friday couldn’t come fast enough. Rey was so frazzled as she ran around her apartment she nearly forgot her best friend had parked it on her couch. 

“Peanut, what are you so worried about?” 

“I’m not _ worried, _ Finn! I’m just nervous! _ Ren _ is one of the most exclusive restaurants in New York City right now! Not to mention impossible to get into, and I am just a little blog on the internet that people are going to turn to to read how it was! It’s a ton of pressure!”

“Rey. You have an art for describing food, your passion for it shines through your articles and blog. Not to mention restaurants boom after you visit them! _ Ren _will be no different.” 

Rey embraced her friend tightly as his praise sank in.

‘_ She could do this, I can do this,’ _she thought.

*** 

“Rey Kenobi, party of one.” 

“Oh yes, Miss Kenobi, right this way. If you would you allow Ms. Connix to take your coat, I shall escort you to your table.” Armitage Hux lead Rey to a small round table near the large window facing the street. Rey was mesmerized by how the lights of the restaurant and those of the street seemed to compliment one another. 

Hux handed her a menu and asked whether she’d have flat or sparkling water.

“Flat is fine, thank you, Armitage.” 

“It’s just water ma’am,” he said, though he sensed her tone was a more specific thank you.

“No, really, thank you. If it weren’t for you and Poe, I don’t know if I would ever be sitting here. 

“The pleasure is mine,” he nodded before walking away to tend to the other guests. 

A waitress came over and took Rey’s order. She ordered the wine that the waitress had suggested for the tasting menu that Rey ordered. She was impressed so far. She took out her pad and started jotting down notes. Noting the atmosphere, the ambiance, the crowd, the bar, the other diners. She catalogued the entire experience so her reader’s may feel they’d gotten a glimpse into NYC’s hottest restaurant. 

As she received her food, she gazed at the lovely plate and snapped a picture of it with her phone, making sure to get the proper lighting and shadowing that would require little touch up later. The restaurant was no place for a professional camera and she had to at least get a lovely picture of the food for the article. 

As she took her first bite of the plate, she paused. Contemplating the flavors and textures before taking some notes and continuing to taste. That was part of the job she had to learn. She couldn’t scarf down the food like she would at home or if she was enjoying it in her free time. No, with her writing, she had to examine all aspects of the food, which meant going very slowly and cautiously. 

Before she finished her plate, the waitress came back and asked if she could get her a dessert menu. Rey wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin prior to nodding and thanking the waitress. 

As the waitress came back with the exquisite dessert, Rey marveled at the angles, and sharpness yet glamour of the meal. She’d never thought in her life that she’d be inspecting angles in a dessert, but it was pristine and the chocolate was as rich and luxurious as it appeared. 

As the waitress brought the bill, Rey pulled out a Visa Black card and placed it with the check, causing the waitress to lift her eyebrows slightly. Of course Rey could never have been a card holder of such an impressive status on her own. The card was provided by the magazine. One of the perks of her job.

Armitage met Rey at the door with her coat, giving her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Rey wished him a good evening. As she waited for the valet to pull her car up, she caught many stares from both men and women waiting outside the restaurant, clearly trying to figure out who she was. Once her car pulled up, they all began whispering. Hux chuckled from inside the restaurant as Rey pulled away from the curb, likely headed home to start the article.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finally meets the infamous Chef Solo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally met kylosgirl9593 today and she is so beyond fabulous!!! Hopefully she likes this new chapter! And of course I had to share the moodboard she made for it also (at the end) ! Just perfect! Thanks also to Alicia for being a bomb beta!

* * *

“‘Arrogant’, ‘lacking’, ‘pretentious comma garlic-y’. What the fuck does that even mean?!” Ben fumed as he read the blogger’s review, slamming his laptop shut and storming out of his apartment.

***

_ Bang, bang, bang _

Rey’s door nearly crumbled under the wrath of someone's fist pounding on the other side.

“Rey Kenobi!” she heard a voice thunder. The deep, familiar tone sparked a lightbulb in her mind and an insight into who may be on the other side. 

She peered through her peephole to see an enraged looking Ben Solo on the other side, swearing as he caged in her front door. Clearly he meant to intimidate her if she stepped out. 

Rey opened the door, keeping the chain in place as Ben tried to get a glimpse at the writer. 

“Chef Solo?”

“You’re fucking right it’s Ben Solo. Now let me in!” 

“Last time I checked, I don’t let fuming, sweaty, angry men into my apartment.” 

Rey heard Ben take a deep breath, clearly composing himself before continuing.

“Then would you please just open the door so we can talk, please?” 

Rey sighed, relenting to the man. 

As soon as the door was fully open, Rey got an unobstructed view of the famous chef for the first time. His raven hair sat in waves meeting his rugged jawline, dark brown eyes threatening to match the dark chocolate dessert she’d enjoyed the night before, and alabaster skin that damn near glowed, spotted with beauty marks, a sign that he spent too much time in the kitchen. 

“Redact the piece,” he demanded, bringing her out of her reverie and into a state of confusion. 

“Excuse me?” she asked as he went ahead and barged into her apartment. 

Ben stopped and admired her kitchen. It was clearly a place where she spent much of her time since it was covered with sticky notes and recipes. He was impressed with the range and vent hood that were in line with a lovely blue tile backsplash and surrounded by other textures as well - butcher block, stainless steel, copper, a pigeon blue he recognized as being a staple to the Pennsylvania appliance native, Bluestar. 

He turned to find the blogger immediately behind him. Where he expected to find shock or fear at his intrusion and demands, he could only see rage. 

“Get out,” she demanded. 

“What?!” he asked, as if smacked by surprise with a hurt look on his face.

“I don’t take kindly to people barging into my home without an invitation, so I won’t ask again!” she said, pointing her finger at the door and waiting for him to leave. 

He crossed back to the entrance, huffing in annoyance at the blogger’s stubbornness over the situation. Before he could even turn to face her again, the door was slammed in his face. He stood gawking at the closed door. 

_ ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,’ _he thought. 

_ ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,’ _she thought, collapsing onto her couch face first as the moody chef stomped away. She screamed into a pillow until she had to come up for air, feeling strangely relieved afterward. 

Remembering why Chef Solo had come in the first place, Rey peered into her email inbox, checking to see if she’d received any responses from her superiors. She had. 

> To:Rey Kenobi (Reyoflight@hotmail.com)
> 
> From: Amilyn Holdo (AHoldo@Resistancepublishing.com)
> 
> Subject: Ren Review
> 
> Rey, what a wonderful job on the piece from _ Ren. _We thought it was insightful, daring, and ballsy to take on such a popular chef in the New York City food scene. People are already commenting on the post and reaching out to the magazine in hopes for more details. Keep up the good work. 
> 
> Amilyn

Rey sat in shock looking at her computer. 

***

“Dameron!” Ben thundered as he entered the kitchen for prep. “I demand an explanation! Why would you invite this girl to eat at _ my _ restaurant?” 

“Well, first of all, Solo, because she’s a friend _ and _ a phenomenal writer. If you can impress her than you have won the hearts and _ pocketbooks _ of her readers.” 

“I don’t give a damn about her readers!” he said as he threw a skillet across the restaurant. It crashed to the floor in the corner. 

“Yes, yes, but second of all. Because we need her.” 

“We _ need _ her? Need her _ how _ ? We _ need _ her to trash my restaurant and paint a bad picture of me and my food?” 

“Why do you care so much about what she thinks? I thought you just said we don’t need her readers’ opinions. And for the record, Ben, it’s our restaurant and _ our _food. We might work for you, but we cook the damn food too.” 

For the second time today, Ben stood flabbergasted at the situation as his chefs continued moving around him. 

*** 

Rey knocked on the doorframe to Leia’s office. 

“Rey, please come in.” Leia motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of her massive desk.

“What can I do for you, Leia? Were you not happy with the article? Amilyn and Jyn-” Leia raised her hand into the air and stopped Rey from continuing, reassuring her that there were no issues on their end. 

“No, I’m very happy with the article, I just wanted to give you word of warning. I know the executive chef of _ Ren _personally, and I can tell you, he won’t be happy with what you wrote. In fact, he might confront you for it.” 

Rey rubbed her arm, looking down at her lap.

“Yeah, he kind of already did,” she said as she looked up at Leia whose eyebrows were raised. 

“Did he now,” she pursed her lips, “I should have known. He’s never been one for criticism. Always very sensitive.” 

Rey’s head cocked to the side in confusion.

“How do you know Chef Solo?” 

Leia smiled.

“He’s my son.”

“Ben Solo is your son?” Rey gawked at her supervisor, shocked by the news she had just received. 

*** 

“How do we get her to remove the post?” Ben asked Poe as they continued working the dinner shift. Ben typically remained stoic as he ran his kitchen, but clearly this wasn’t a subject he could put aside for the evening. 

“You don’t,” Poe said matter of factly. “Rey will remove it if she thinks she is in the wrong, but she is paid to express her opinion, Solo.” 

Ben huffed in frustration as he pushed another dish out to be served. 

“How can you not be more upset by this? She’s your friend and she trash talked your food. Service.” 

Poe finalized the plate he was working on and slid it over to Ben before placing his hands down firmly on the stainless steel surface. 

“She didn’t trash talk the food. She didn’t say the flavors were bad or that anything was overcooked or inedible. She simply said our food focused more on style, the food failed to present depth or dimension to her. Rey’s got a sophisticated palate for a woman of her background. Maybe you should focus less on her criticism and more on the opportunity to grow.” 

Poe turned and headed to the saucier. 

‘_ Her background? What does that mean?’ _

*** 

Leia sat in her office late that night, perusing over Rey’s article, still impressed with her gumption. 

The phone rang and Leia glanced at the number on the screen.

“To what do I owe the honor?” she asked smuggly, expecting the conversation to be a short one, much like the others she’d had with her son over the years.

“How could you let Kenobi publish that piece?” 

“Ahh so you’ve seen our prized blogger’s most recent review.” 

“Mother, of course I’ve seen the review. It’s on my restaurant and it’s one of the only negative ones out there!” Leia heard the anger growing in her son’s voice as she continued to toy with him. 

“Well Amilyn, Jyn, and I found it to be a wonderful read. Your big head could use some deflation, Benjamin. After all, I know your background more than most and you and I both know you didn’t grow up with this high class snobbery.” 

“Background, I am glad you brought that up,” Ben said, ignoring his mother’s low blow as she tried to guilt trip him. “Poe mentioned something about Kenobi’s background and having a refined palate despite it. Care to share?” 

“No, I don’t think I will, Benjamin,” Leia said, knowing she’d raised her son better than that to pry into a woman’s history without asking the woman upfront about it. “I would simply suggest you ask Rey if you want to know. That would be the appropriate thing to do. And considering how you demanded she remove the article in the first place, it’s the least you could do.” 

“How did you-” 

“Goodnight, dear. I’ll tell your father you said hi.” 

_ Click _

***

_ ‘This is exhausting!’ _

Ben stretched his arms across his kitchen island. He ran his fingers through his hair. He had to figure out this situation with _ Rey _before it got out of hand. If she wouldn’t redact the piece, maybe he could get her to change her mind and post a follow up on the restaurant. He had to at least try.

He wouldn’t let this girl get the best of him.

* * *

KylosGirl9593's moodboard <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben goes to extremes to talk to Rey. Rose is understanding and gives Rey some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Time to update! Sorry guys this chapter took a bit longer to write! But with the help of my friend Nori, we got it together! Thanks to Alicia for always beta'ing so quickly!

* * *

> From: Unknown number
> 
> To: Rey
> 
> We need to talk 

“Ugh!” Rey grunted as she threw her phone on the couch. She had a feeling she knew exactly who was texting her and he was the last person she wanted to talk to on a Sunday morning. Especially after he forced himself into her apartment the day prior. 

She tried going back to the sauce she was making from her cookbook off the side of the stove when she finally caved, growling furiously as she pulled the saucepan off the heat to retrieve her phone and plop down on the couch. She pressed her touch screen aggressively, typing back to the other person over text. These were the moments she seriously missed her physical keypad or flip phone capability to express her anger through her device. How badly she’d love to slam her phone down on a conversation with the irritating Chef Solo. 

> From: Rey
> 
> To: Unknown Number
> 
> I have a feeling who this is because you didn’t bother to say hi or introduce yourself from this number, but I believe, NO, we don’t need to talk. Good day. 

A knock at her door caused her jaw to drop and eyes to slowly wrap around and gape at the closed door. 

_ Knock knock _

“This is unbelievable,” she said as she pocketed her phone and walked over to the door, not even bothering to check the peephole to see who was on the other side before opening it. “Do you have a life?” 

“Do _ I _have a life? It’s two o’clock in the morning on a Sunday, most people would be sleeping right now, not…” he hesitated as he smelled the wafting aroma coming from her kitchen, “not working on a tomato sauce. Plus I just got off work.”

“Well this _ is my job, _Chef Solo, whether you want to agree with it or not. I have some pretty crazy hours and it varies in tasks. Goodnight,” she tried to slam the door on the chef’s face when she saw his hand catch it at the edge. 

“At least let me come in and taste your sauce,” he seemingly offered. A skeptical Rey looked at him suspiciously, believing his only goal would be to critique her cooking in the same manner that she did his.

“Ugh, whatever, then you go,” she said grumpily as she invited him in.

“Thank you.” He stepped into her apartment, removing his gloves and pocketing them before she provided him with a tasting spoon. 

As he stood over the stove, he appreciated the bright color of her sauce, recognizing the fresh ingredients she used to create it instead of just doctoring up a sauce from a can or jar. 

She waited impatiently for him to take the spoon. As he did and dipped it into the sauce he removed it, he found the perfect nappe consistency.

“Impressive,” he muttered before putting the spoon in his mouth, finally tasting the sauce, “brightness, acidity, sweetness, right amount of salt...” he checked off the many elements to her sauce before turning to her. “Poe was right. You’re palate is more refined than most. But what of your background?” 

“Excuse me?” she asked, almost offended, but curious about what exactly Chef Solo meant. “My background? What did Poe say about that?” 

She crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot. She was quickly losing patience with Ben Solo and his presence in her apartment. 

“He mentioned you have an extremely fine palate for someone with your background. I was just curious what he could have meant. Should someone of your background be less attuned to the fine qualities that food can have and the depth of flavor? And if so, what is it?” 

Rey hadn’t realized he was nearly standing on top of her and that Ben had closed the gap between them, the air slowly sucking out of the room, causing Rey’s chest to heave and not without Ben’s notice. 

_ ‘She was nervous, good,’ _he thought, glad he could get under the headstrong woman’s skin. He quirked his eyebrow as she continued to stand speechless. 

“I’d appreciate you not asking such personal questions at this time, Chef Solo. As you said, it’s two o’clock in the morning and such questions require time and focus for explanation. Two things of which I am not willing to give you at this moment.”

He hummed as he looked down at Rey. She had gumption, that was for certain. 

“Have a pleasant evening, Kenobi, or should I say morning?” 

He turned and walked out of the apartment, reapplying his leather gloves before grabbing the door handle and closing the door behind him,l. Rey was left stunned, still standing in the same place. 

“What the fuck just happened?” she asked the empty room, not sure who she was speaking to, most likely herself.

***

Rey decided to get together with a friend a few hours later. Chef Solo had lost it, she was convinced, and she needed to figure out what to do about her situation. Luckily, Rose was readily available. 

“Wait wait wait… He showed up to your apartment at 2 o’clock this morning? Why?”

Rey turned away from the coffee table at her local farmers market to face Rose. “Does it really matter? He said he wanted to talk to me about my past because of something Poe said.” 

Rose took a long swig of her coffee before supplying Rey with a piece of advice she wasn’t expecting. 

“I would do it. Sit down and talk to him. Ben. Chef Solo. Whatever.”

Rey nearly choked on her coffee at the suggestion. “Meet with him? Seriously? Why?” 

“This review you’ve written has clearly gotten to him. He wants to know he’s not in the wrong. You’ve kinda scarred him from what it sounds like because he’s never gotten a bad review before.”

Rey stood there gaping at the fact that she hadn’t realized it before. She’d tarnished his record, she’d scarred his pretty boy face and image.

“I guess talking to him would be fair.” 

“And hell, if you’re nervous about it, I’ll loan you Finn to watch your back for the day.” 

Rey smiled as she wrapped her arms around Rose’s shoulder.

“Now what do you need for this chicken recipe?” Rey laughed as her and Rose began hunting down ingredients for her latest recipe. 

***

Ben found Poe standing at the espresso machine late Sunday morning. He hadn’t stopped thinking about his late night/early morning chat with Rey. She’d refused him yet again, but this time he was able to get under her skin. That was progress to him.

Poe turned to find Ben standing close behind him in a daze. 

“Whoa. Hey chef, you okay?” 

Ben snapped out of his daze and looked at his shorter sous chef. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” he said before brushing past him to retrieve his own espresso. 

“Listen I want to talk to you, well, more like relay a message.” 

Ben didn’t bother looking over his shoulder.

“Listen Ben, I know you’ve tried talking to Rey a couple times now about the review. Well, she wanted to let you know that she’d meet you. She said you stopped by this morning asking her some questions she’d feel more comfortable answering in a public space than her home at 2 AM.” 

“It’s a start,” Ben said as he turned and walked past Poe to retrieve his phone to text Kenobi. 

When he got to his phone he found a new message already waiting. 

> To: Ben Solo
> 
> From: Rey Kenobi 
> 
> Hi Chef Solo, I thought about your questions you were asking me this morning and I decided that it’s fair you’d like to know more about the girl who gave you the unexpected review. If you’d like to talk or get your answers, I’ll be at the farmers market on 66th and Broadway Friday morning at 8 AM. 
> 
> -Rey Kenobi

*** 

“Thanks, Finn, for doing this for me. I just want to make sure someone is here in case anything gets out of hand.” 

“Peanut, I got you. I’ll keep my distance, but keep a close watch.” Finn squeezed her shoulder before walking to the next tent over that was selling an assortment of different breads. 

“Kenobi,” she heard behind her. She turned.

“You do know I have a first name right?” she asked as chef Solo looked down on her. She was able to see her reflection in his dark black sunglasses. ‘_ Who dressed in all black to a farmer’s market?’ _she thought. 

“Thank you for meeting me here, Kenobi.” 

“So you had questions, Solo. Fire away.” Rey didn’t like acting like this, but for some reason Chef Solo and his actions since his review just rubbed her the wrong way. 

She rolled her eyes and headed back to the veggies. “So what did you want to ask me that was so important at 2 o’clock in the morning last Sunday?”

“Who are you, Rey Kenobi? Surely, Poe wouldn’t have made such a comment about your background without indicating that in some way you’re special.” 

Rey turned to look over her shoulder skeptically at Chef Solo. 

“Special I most definitely am not. I’m just an orphan that got her life together.” 

Ben was taken aback by the harsh truth of her past. “An orphan? What does that have to do with your affinity for food?” 

She walked over to the cashier and handed her money for the produce before turning to face him. 

“Do you know what life looks like for children who get put into the system? It isn’t pretty. My parents preferred the drink over their only daughter, so I was passed onto my grandparents who gave me the look of a charmed life until I was eight. They passed away and I was put into the foster system just outside of Phoenix. Like most older children put into the system, nobody wanted a child that had been raised with such a past. So, I was passed onto a man who chose to abuse my child care checks and put me to work doing manual labor.”

Rey noticed the disgusted look on Chef Solo’s face, which is exactly why she’d never shared her story, but she chose to carry on. “That’s right, an eight year old as a labor worker. One who had to “earn” her meals, if you could even call them that. More like scraps that I had to share with his grimey bulldog Teedo, and if I wasn’t worthy of a meal, I didn’t get one. ‘To bed without supper’ he’d scream at me as he shut me in my closet of a bedroom.” 

Rey composed herself as she walked to the next stand of the market and perused the fresh bread, listening to the crunch and crackle of the sourdough. Food was the only good thing she’d look forward to as a child. She learned to cherish the flavors, textures, and never took anything for granted. 

“So from an orphan to a food writer, that truly must be like a modern Cinderella story for you then. So, what I don’t get is why my food wasn’t good enough for you,” Chef Solo inquired. He understood Rey. He was lonely as a child and he turned to food in his times of solitude. His grandfather Anakin and godmother Ahsoka taught him much more than his parents ever could. 

But his comment was like a slap to the face for Rey. She knew this wasn’t about her. It was always about him. 

“Your food lacked depth. Sure it was pretty on the surface, but the level of flavor was lacking and it had no soul. Much like you, Chef Solo,” Rey said, her voice lowering as she began to walk away from the infuriating man. 

“You may be pretty on the outside. The _ esteemed _ Chef Solo, one of _ Forbes _ Thirty-Under-Thirty, _ People’s _ Sexiest Chef of the Year, but you put nothing personal into your food. It has no life, no love, and it shows on the plate.” 

Rey tapped Finn on the shoulder near the dessert stand where he was buying chocolate and almond croissants, indicating that she was done with Chef Solo. He nodded and finished paying. 

Chef Solo gaped at Rey, building up a head of rage, starting the huff like a beast about to turn into a fire-breathing dragon.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, KENOBI? You’re an orphan who had the _ gift _of eating a Michelin star meal, and yet you say I cook without passion or life?! What’s an orphan supposed to know about food? You’re just some little blog on the internet that’s highly overrated! You’re nothing.” 

Ben was shouting after her now, drawing many an eye from the hustle and bustle of the farmer’s market. 

Rey turned before getting ready to walk down to the subway. Rage filled her eyes as she calmly gazed back at Chef Solo. 

“You ever been to Singapore?”

“Excuse me?”

“Last time I checked those street food vendors practice the art of perfection with one dish and get Michelin stars for their flavors, not hiding behind high prices and pretentious attitude. Take a deep thought about that, _ chef. _” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay chapter update and a surprise (to follow)! Thank you all for your kind words! I hope you like this chapter! It was fun to write! And thanks as always to Alicia for being an awesome beta!

* * *

It’d been a month since Rey had last heard from Chef Solo. It was bizarre; he seemed to have just vanished out of the blue, and not just from her life. 

_ “Did you kill him or something?” Poe asked Rey one day at lunch, causing a rather distraught look to cross her face as she spit her water across the table. _

_ She wiped her mouth and composed herself from the wandering eyes of the bistro. The leaves were changing as October came to New York. It was a favorite time of year for Rey and she didn’t need Poe ruining it with ludicrous accusations. _

_ “What? Kill who?” _

_ “Ben. Chef Solo. He disappeared after you met with him. I assumed he’d said something to you and you killed him.” _

_ Rey rolled her eyes at her dramatic friend. “No, I didn’t kill your precious Chef Solo.” _

_ “Well, you better hope he comes back! Because he left me in charge of his Michelin Star restaurant and I can’t take the stress of it anymore! I’m meant for latin soul food, the food that cakes your arteries and make you feel like you’re back at your abuelita’s house. Not this fancy stuff. This is Solo’s restaurant. Not mine. He needs to come back, Rey.” _

Ding dong.

Rey looked up from her laptop and the most recent article she was composing. 

She padded across the apartment in her sweats and slippers. Unfortunately, her most recent review had landed her at the side of a restaurant one never hopes to see. Food poisoning. She trusted she could be away from her trash can for a few moments to excuse whoever was at her door. Little did she expect who resided on the other side of her peephole. 

Rey quickly fluffed her hair and wiped any remnants of bodily fluids away from her mouth as she opened the door. 

“He lives,” she said in a raspy voice, her recent illness doing nothing for the ache in her throat. 

“And you look like shit,” Chef Solo said, looking her up and down. 

“Well aren’t you just a real _ Prince Charming _. But you don’t look too good yourself. Have you been awake for 3 days or something?”

“Something like that,” he said as he peered into her apartment from the door. He could see dirty dishes in the sink, tissues littering the room, and garbage cans every few feet. 

“You’re sick. With what?” 

“Food poisoning,” she said as she waved him into the apartment before going and collapsing on the couch again, clearing a handful of napkins and tissue in the process. 

“How’d you manage to end up with that?” Ben asked. As a food blogger, he’d thought she’d know how to avoid getting sick from the food she reviewed. 

“I went to dim sum with Rose in Chinatown,” she said as she put her hand over her eyes. 

“Well suits you right for choosing that.”

She looked up with fire in her eyes. “Excuse me? People eat dim sum in Chinatown everyday! It’s known around the world! Why would _ I _ of all people get sick from it?” 

“I'm just saying,” Ben said, holding his hands up in the air surrendering to Rey’s temper. 

“What are you doing here, again?” she asked as she grabbed a cool cloth and laid it across her forehead. 

Ben put down a plastic bag she hadn’t noticed before. “Two things,” he said, sitting down on her coffee table since she left no room on the couch, “I wanted to let you know that I took your advice. I did it. I went to Singapore like you suggested.” 

Rey looked up from her collapsed state on the sofa and stared at Ben curiously. 

‘_ He’d taken her advice? Why?’ _

She propped herself up on her elbows. “And did you learn anything?” 

“Yes. That you were right.” 

Rey had to be hallucinating. Chef Solo had said she was right. That felt so wrong! 

“Ummm...thank you?” she said, her head still a bit fuzzy from the food poisoning. At that moment, she was reminded of what ails her. She rushed to the bathroom and retched into the toilet. It wasn’t until she felt a hand on her back and one holding her hair that she was able to feel any comfort during the grueling time. 

When she was finished she sat on the bathroom floor. Chef Solo handed her a washcloth and allowed her to wipe off her lips. 

“Thank you, I’m sure you love seeing me like this after I wrote you that shitty review.” 

“No. I wouldn’t wish food poisoning on my worst enemy.” 

“I guess that’s fair. I am your enemy after that review.” 

“You’re not my enemy, Rey.” 

She looked up at him. “You called me Rey.” 

Ben didn’t respond. He knew that he’d be demanding and somewhat cruel with his actions toward her after she’d written that review. But things were different now. He helped her off the floor and walked back over to the couch, depositing a trash can close by her in case she had to hurl again. 

“You said you were here for two reasons. What was the second?” 

“I wanted to give you these,” he said, pulling sunflowers out of the bag he’d dropped by the coffee table. 

Rey gasped as she saw the bright flowers. “Sunflowers! They’re my favorite!” she said, grabbing the flowers from him. 

“Poe told me. They reminded me of your yellow bug. He was the one who told me you were sick.” 

Rey smiled. This was pleasant. This Chef Solo - Ben - was pleasant to be around. 

“Why did you bring me flowers?” 

“I wanted to be your friend.” 

“My friend? I thought Ben Solo didn’t have friends.” 

“Yes, well, that’s neither here nor there. After we met at the farmer’s market, I realized something, Rey. I made a snap decision to head to Singapore and experience what you were talking about, and I realized you were right. You know your stuff about food and you enjoy food. And I enjoy food and would love to teach you what I know. If you’d take me.”

“You’d be my teacher?” 

“Of sorts,” he said with a crooked smile. He was glad she wasn’t turning down his request rapidly. That was good. He felt hopeful. 

***

By Saturday, Rey was fully cleared of her food poisoning and started to feel like her old self again. It was a relief and honestly she wondered how bad it really was. For a moment she thought she had hallucinated the entire incident with _ Ben. _She was prepared to brush it off her shoulder as a dehydration-induced hallucination until she received a text from him Thursday asking if she’d be able to meet for lunch one of these days. 

She was hesitant at first. This was still the asshole who yelled at her and called her an orphan in front of the entire farmer’s market and proved that he would stop at nothing to get her to remove her review, but it was also the same guy who seemed genuine when stopping by her apartment to check on her while she was sick and brought her flowers. 

She still remembered the feeling of his soothing touch rubbing her back as she puked her brains out into the toilet. ‘_ Stupid dim sum,’ _she thought. 

But now, she sat waiting at Chelsea Market for Ben to join her for lunch. She had a sudden craving for the raw bar and suggested Ben meeting her at the Oyster Bar, Cull & Pistol. She took a sip from her arnold palmer as she saw Ben approach. He was in a black chef coat with _ Ren’s _logo on it, telling her he must be on a break from work. 

He was pleasant when he greeted her, but didn’t hesitate to give her shit and ask if she was going to puke on him again. She sarcastically laughed before ordering a half dozen raw oysters and a half dozen grilled oysters. 

“First place I ever had oysters was Acme Oyster House in New Orleans. My blog had just started and they gave me a free t-shirt as soon as they saw me taking notes,” she laughed as she reminisced. 

Ben watched her curiously. This girl had traveled much for someone so young. She had to be 22 years old, which would make him 10 years her senior. 

“So, where did you learn to cook, Solo?” 

“My godmother and grandfather.”

“Godmother? What happened to your grandmother?” Rey asked, a look of concern across her face. 

“She passed away in childbirth after my mother and uncle were born.” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Ben,” Rey gasped, thinking how lonely it must have been for Leia to lose her mother.

“It’s fine. According to my mother, I'm more like my grandfather anyway. Very headstrong and stubborn, but as you know stubbornness runs in my family.”

Rey chuckled. “Ha, no shit,” she said as she slurped down another oyster.

He scowled at her. Though he never knew his grandfather well, he knew him enough as a young boy to inspire him to be the best chef when he grew up. 

“Well, he made me want to be a chef. What made you want to be a blogger?” 

Rey contemplated the question. Nobody had ever asked her that. 

“My love of food. When I first got started, people around me thought I was weird because I would get so excited about it, then they’d hear about my life and understand but never look at me the same. They pitied me, but I didn’t care because food was exciting for me. I guess you could say I was a foodie at a young age.”

Ben remembered calling her an orphan at the farmers market. He had been cruel. She opened up and lowered her walls for him only to have him use her trust against her. He’d have to make that up to her somehow. Maybe that’s what he was doing now. 

“Well, you’ve clearly had the luxury of travel despite your circumstances.” He hesitated, not dwelling on that subject. “How were you so fortunate in that department?”

“Guy Fieri,” Rey said matter of factly as if that explained itself. Ben just looked at her waiting for her to elaborate. She rolled her eyes. 

“I was at a restaurant when I was 18. I had just run away. Gotten away from Plutt finally since I aged out of the system, and Guy Fieri from Food Network walked in. The restaurant was going to be on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. He asked me what I thought of the restaurant and my answer apparently impressed him. He asked for my name and my situation and I told him I’d be looking for a job while I did school online. He offered me a position to travel to different cities and spot out the places he could go for the show.” 

Ben gaped at her. The celebrity chef was always known for his expressive personality and kind gestures for those in his community. Especially those driven by their love of food.

“From there I started my blog and he shared it on social media and the rest is history. Your mom and Resistance Publishing contacted me and offered me my contract with creative freedom to write about food.” 

“Rey, that’s amazing. The opportunities you’ve been given are phenomenal.” 

Rey blushed at the compliment, looking down and thinking the best way to respond. 

She looked up, meeting Ben’s warm brown eyes, nearly losing her train of thought. “After growing up the way I did, I knew I had to stay hopeful. I chose to be the writer of my happy ending, and I wasn’t going to waste any chance of that.” 

“How fitting,” Ben said. His phone started chiming, likely alerting him to get back to work. 

“Oh, I have to go. Back to the restaurant.” 

“Okay,” Rey said, throwing down some cash and handing it over the oyster bar before Ben could object. She hopped up from her barstool. 

“Until next time,” Rey said sticking out her hand. 

Ben looked down at her hand, regarding the gesture curiously. He stook out his large hand to meet hers, gently brushing the skin before firmly encompassing her smaller hand in his. He looked up to find her hazel eyes glowing with warmth before they parted. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey explore their friendship and Ben helps Rey with an interview.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Thanks for Alicia for being a great great beta! Also at the bottom is the art from AuroraLynne!

* * *

Rey found herself making pretzels Saturday morning. She kneaded the dough and rolled it out, twisting the pieces together and lightly sprinkling sea salt over them before popping them into the oven. As she started cleaning her kitchen, she looked down at her flour-covered body and chuckled. 

‘ _ Lovely,’  _ she mused in her head. 

A ping from her phone sitting near the sink caught her attention.

> From: Ben Solo
> 
> To: Rey Kenobi
> 
> Door

Rey rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, unable to wipe the flour off her apron prior to allowing her guest in. 

“You know, a heads up would be nice before these little visits of yours,” she said as she opened the door to find Ben on the other side.

A smirk graced his face as he looked her up and down, causing her to remember her current state of being covered in flour. 

“It’s a recipe day,” she explained herself. 

“As I can see,” he said before waltzing into her apartment and peering into her oven, “what are you going to serve with them?” 

Rey looked over to her kitchen and saw Ben standing in front of her oven. 

“If you must know, Mr. Nosey, I was going to serve them with a pumpkin ale cheese sauce for an Oktoberfest party I’m going to.” 

Ben turned around to her island and found her laptop split into two screens: one side with the article she was composing for the recipe, and the other, the recipe for beer cheese. 

He liked learning about Rey’s process and how her life revolved around her job. Always thinking of the next recipe or restaurant to write about. Food was always on his mind too; he liked that he had that in common with her.

Ben pulled the flour and butter close to him and turned on the stove top, creating the roux that would act as the base of her cheese sauce. Rey turned around from washing her hands at the sink to see  _ Chef Solo  _ in action. His movements seemed to be fluid and graceful in the kitchen, like watching a ballerina pirouette across the stage. 

“I was getting to that,” she said as she attempted to hip bump him away from her stove,  _ unsuccessfully  _ as he stood in the exact same spot, planted like a tree.

“I’m just trying to help,” he said as he stepped to the side and leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. 

He watched her work on the cheese sauce. She added the beer and dry seasonings, tasting continuously as she went, adding her additions of each spice as she felt necessary, and never asking for Ben’s professional opinion. Finally, she added the gruyere and Vermont cheddar cheese and continued stirring it until it melted. 

Once the cheese sauce was ready, Rey dipped a spoon into it. She brought the spoon to her lips, lightly blowing on the sauce before the flavors danced across her tongue. Her eyes closed to truly focus on all the flavors. 

Ben cleared his throat. “Do you need to be left alone with the cheese sauce?” he teased.

She sunk her finger into the sauce, emerging with a dollop that made its way to the tip of Ben’s nose. He looked down at her, unamused as she looked back at him with the same unwavering stare. Without breaking eye contact, he collected the cheese off his nose and sucked his finger into his mouth, releasing it with a pop. He smirked before grabbing the beer off her counter and sipping it before going and sitting down on her couch. 

Rey nearly stumbled as he walked away and grabbed onto the edge of her counter, trying to recover from the intensity of the moment. She shook herself back to reality, removing the sauce from the heat and pulling the pretzels from the oven when they were done. 

She made her way over to her couch and looked at Ben expectantly, waiting for him to explain the purpose of his presence in her apartment. 

“How would you like to come back to  _ Ren,  _ Rey?” 

Rey rolled her eyes, her shoulders slumping as she took in Ben’s words. Disappointment began rolling through her body in waves. 

“You want another chance at my review.” 

“Oh no, that’s not what this is,” he said calmly, unknowing how he had relieved her of the disappointment she had just felt. “No, I was thinking about your mentorship with Guy and realized that he must have taught you how to do an in-kitchen interview.” 

She looked at him curiously. She actually had never done one. She was never allowed back in the kitchen, they usually just met with her out front if they wanted to talk. 

“I’ve never done one, just seen them on Food Network and cooking shows.” 

“Well, that’s simply unacceptable for a food blogger of your stature. Why don’t you come back to  _ Ren _ ? We’ll do a faux interview to  _ practice _ if you will.”

Rey looked at him skeptically, but agreed.

***

Rey pulled up to  _ Ren _ in her yellow bug, the valet sitting there on his phone eyed her. 

“The restaurant isn’t open yet, ma’am.”

“Oh, I was invited by Chef Solo. Is there a better place to park?”

“Oh my gosh,” the valet said with sudden fear in his eyes, “I am so sorry Miss Kenobi! Chef Solo did say you were coming, I just didn’t know what to expect by his description!” 

Rey looked at the flustered valet with warm and understanding. Clearly Ben had a reputation, and if you made a mistake, he wasn’t forgiving of it. She stepped out of her bug, placed her hand on his bicep and smiled at him. 

“It’s fine, no worries! Should I move?” 

“No!” the valet nearly yelled at Rey, startling her. “Please head on up, I’ll park your bug around back.”

“Thanks so much... Mitaka,” she smiled, reading his name tag.

As Rey walked through the front door, Poe stood there talking to Hux. 

“Rey! Welcome back! I’m surprised you haven’t burst into flames walking in here after your review!” 

“Looking as lovely as ever, Rey,” Hux complimented, causing her to shove past Poe and give him a hug. He hugged her back and offered to remove her coat before escorting her to the kitchen. 

As Rey walked back into the kitchen with Hux and Poe, she caught a glance of Ben coming out of the office. When his eyes met hers, his stiff exterior seemed to soften.

“Welcome back to  _ Ren,  _ Miss Kenobi.” He extended his hand out to her for a professional shake. 

She shook it. “Thank you for having me back, Chef Solo,” she smirked, curious what the deal was with the charade. 

When he escorted her to the private part of the kitchen, and away from prying eyes, she finally verbalized her curiosity. 

“Okay, what was all that about? Do you really think Poe and Hux don’t know about your visits to my apartment at 2 AM or any other unexpected time?” 

She swore she saw a blush creep to Ben’s cheeks. Was he embarrassed about being seen with her? Did it look bad for him spending time with the critic who gave his restaurant a harsh review?

“I don’t want them thinking I’ve gone soft. I have a reputation here. I’m not the same person when I’m with you. I’m different, and I don’t know how to feel about it.” 

As Rey looked at Ben quizzically, trying to figure out what to make of his admission, a large, blonde woman walked by.

“Phasma,” Ben said loudly to get her attention, breaking Rey out of her reverie, “I wanted to introduce you to Rey Kenobi.” 

“Oh my gosh! You’re Gwen Phasma! The pastry chef behind that gorgeous chocolate dessert to come out of this kitchen?!” 

“Nice to meet you, Rey,” she shook her hand and began talking all things pastry and baking. 

Ben was honestly a bit jealous. Had Rey acted this way with him he’s not sure he would have noticed her. She would have been like all the other girls, fawning over him instead of caring about the food, but she wasn’t. Rey challenged him. A challenge he hadn’t really appreciated but now was grateful for. 

He couldn’t let her know that. Not yet. 

“All right, all right, you two baking gossip girls can get back to it later. Rey, I believe we had an interview and Phasma, I believe you were coming up with the dessert for this evening.” 

Phasma gave him a nasty side eye before looking back at Rey. “Rey, it was a pleasure to meet you.” 

She disappeared into the main kitchen as Ben swept Rey into the tester kitchen. 

She looked around the room like a child in a candy store, her eyes wide with amazement. 

“This is my tester kitchen, it’s like my own personal space to try new things and create.” 

“Someone likes his alone time, I see… Why not just do that out in the main kitchen?” 

“The main kitchen is loud and boisterous, and people are always needing me for something. Even if we aren’t in the middle of dinner service, they still have to get my opinion.” 

“I do believe that is one of the duties as executive chef,” she said matter of factly. “Your opinion is kind of needed when it comes to making decisions on the dishes.” 

“Brat,” he said as he gently pushed her to the side, successfully moving her so he could get the ingredients from the fridge. When everything was laid out on the counter, Rey perused the ingredients. 

“This looks like shrimp and grits.” 

“Yes, it was my grandfather’s signature dish.” 

“And now it will have a Ben Solo, New York twist?” 

“Exactly.”

Rey asked Ben lots of questions as he prepared the shrimp and grits. He was modernizing the simple cajun dish by grilling spicy shrimp, layering them over a beautifully creamy polenta cake, on a bed of luscious pepper cream sauce, and finished with micro greens. 

Rey’s mouth watered as she watched the dish come together. When it was complete, Ben handed her a spoon. 

Careful to get the perfect bite, she forked a piece of succulent shrimp with polenta cake and gently coated it with the cream sauce. 

As she tasted the dish, she was unable to hold back the moan that slipped between her lips. Ben slightly smirked at her pleasure with the dish, stroking his ego a touch at his ability to please the tough food blogger. 

As Rey swallowed the tasty bite, she placed the fork down and looked up at Ben. 

“That was incredible, Ben! If you’d made that the night of my review, I wouldn’t have burned you so much! What they hell happened, where was this Chef Solo?”

He looked at her, contemplating the right reply to satisfy the zealous food blogger. 

“I believe I was stuck somewhere between arrogant and pretentious comma garlic-y,” he said, looking down at her as he quoted her article. 

“That’s right you were,” she said, spearing another shrimp, but this time offering it up for Ben to eat. He took the shrimp and closed his eyes to focus on all the flavors. His eyes opened as quickly as they had shut when heard a soft gasp in front of him. 

_ ‘I do that with my food,’  _ Rey thought as she observed Ben’s same technique. Next thing she knew, she felt as if she was being examined by a pair of dark chocolate orbs. She turned quickly, trying to hide the blush she could feel warming her face, and grabbed her bag and laptop. 

Ben walked her back out the front of the restaurant and retrieved her coat from Hux. He helped slip her red coat on and escorted her out to the valet while her bug was retrieved. Mitaka brought her bug forward and as Rey ducked into the car she looked back up at Ben.

“Thanks for the shrimp and grits, I won’t let anyone know what I learned during this interview.” 

“And what’s that?” 

“That Chef Solo has a heart, and he’s finally learned to cook with it.” And just like that she ducked into her bug and headed back to her side of town. 

Ben gaped at the open road, noticing Mitaka simply standing there uncomfortably… 

“I suggest you forget you heard that,” Ben said before returning to the restaurant.

* * *

[Tumblr Link](https://atchamberlin.tumblr.com/post/188621169179/im-so-beyond-happy-guys-my-commission-by)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get competitive as the friendship grows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope everyone is doing well! Let me know if you enjoy the chapter! and as always gotta shout out to me fabulous beta! Alicia rocks!!!

* * *

November arrived in New York City on a chill breeze. The city was expecting a fresh blanket of snow soon, and Rey was prepared to hole up in her apartment watching food network and cooking until the cold front passed. And that’s exactly where she found herself one Tuesday morning. She had just finished her latest review on a gastropub in the East Village when she decided to grab a blanket and her fuzzy socks and turn on the Food Network. 

As she was preparing a little nest on her new oversized chair, the doorbell rang. 

_ 7:45 _

She looked at the time on her phone before guessing who could be at her door this early in the morning. Only one man came to mind.

As she moved across the floor, she realized she was in comfy clothes, an outfit she had chosen with the intentions of seeing no one today. Her comfy shorts were covered by an overly large shirt and her white stormtrooper socks had certainly seen better days. 

_ ‘Oh well,’  _ she thought, shrugging her shoulders. Why should she feel the need to impress Ben? He’d already seen her disheveled and covered in flour, not to mention her gnarly food poisoned state...

She opened the door to find Ben holding two coffees. 

“Castle coffee? Ben Solo, how did you know?” 

“You have a postcard on your fridge, and I must say, Maz Kanata is a character.” 

“Aw, I love Maz,” Rey cooed. 

“Yes, and as I can tell, the feelings are reciprocated. She tried doing a background check on me when I told her I was ordering for you and wanted your usual order.”

Rey giggled. “Maz means well, but she was one of my first friends when I moved to New York. She saw right through me, knew exactly what I’d been through and pushed me to be my new and best self here.” 

“Wise woman,” Ben said as he handed Rey her coffee. She moved aside to let him in. 

Rey walked over to her chair, setting the coffee down on the side table before sinking into it. Ben turned to her, a look of confusion on his face. 

“New chair?”

Rey glanced up at him. “Yes, I had to get another place to sit due to your more frequent presence in my apartment.” 

“Why is another seat necessary? Most of the time we never get out of the kitchen,” Ben smirked. “Now that we’re using a different room, why can’t you share your couch with me?” 

“Well, I can’t share the couch with an oversized tree.You take up a massive amount of space and I like to stretch out, and there usually isn’t a ton of room left with you here.” 

Ben chuckled and leaned closer to Rey. “You could always just cross your legs over mine, I don’t mind. You didn’t have to go out and spend money for a new piece of furniture because of me.” 

Rey’s face flushed. “What?!” her voice cracked. “No! I am not lounging across you!”

Ben laughed out loud, clearly more and more entertained as the conversation continued.

“Rey,” Ben said seriously, “have you not shaved lately due to the cold weather? It’s ok, you can tell me.” His hand caressed the side of her calf, earning a smack. But her legs were perfectly soft and smooth, a fact Ben didn’t linger on for long.

“Asshole,” Rey sneered as she turned back to the TV, going to her DVR and turning on the night prior’s episode of  _ Holiday Baking Championship.  _

As they began watching, the usual group of pastry chefs and professional bakers stood in the kitchen, but the food blogger/home cook caught Rey’s attention. 

The first challenge they had was of course a pumpkin spice challenge, as the pumpkin season usually marks the start of the holidays. Rey watched as the home baker prepared cupcakes. 

“I could totally do this show,” she said. Not to anyone in particular, but since Ben was sitting next to her, it caught his attention. 

“Of course you could, anyone could. Baking isn’t like cooking where you have to show creativity and intellectual prowess, you just follow the recipe and instructions and boom, you got a cake.”

“I wouldn’t let Phasma hear you say that,” Rey looked at Ben in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to make such a blatantly ignorant statement. Even one of the best chefs in America, Bobby Flay, didn’t go near pastry or baking unless it was a super simple recipe that he could highlight with chilis or honey. 

“Pastry and baking is an art form just like cooking,” she insisted.

Ben rolled his eyes. 

“Alright then,” Rey said hotly, “put your money where your mouth is. We’ll both bake a signature dessert and whoever loses cooks dinner for the winning baker.” 

Ben thought about the idea. He knew it wasn’t necessarily a fair competition since he had a background in pastry from culinary school, but he also knew that Rey enjoyed baking, meaning she most likely practiced it more. They were probably on a fairly even playing field then. 

“All right, you’re on, Kenobi. But we don’t do it here. If we both need to bake at the same time, one could sabotage the other with the use of the oven. Let’s head over to  _ Ren.  _ Gives us plenty of counter and oven space to make this a more legit competition.” 

Rey shook his hand in response, striking a deal. 

***

“What are you going to bake?” Rey asked as she began pulling out a mixer from under Phasma’s pastry station. She truly felt like she was in the competition, she just needed Bobby Deen or Jesse Palmer being their wise-cracking host that delivers dubious twists halfway through the competition. 

“I’m making a dark chocolate devils food cake with espresso and chile powder,” Ben said as he began his batter. “What about you?”

“I’m going to do a Chai cake with honey ginger buttercream.” 

Ben nearly dropped the container of cocoa powder at the sound of Rey’s dish. It sounded so creative. He was very impressed, but not surprised. He continued to watch her as they prepared their desserts, having the urge to continue talking to her, but he needed to focus on the task at hand and get his cake in the oven. He noticed the small wrinkle between Rey’s eyebrows that would appear as her focus grew stronger.  _ ‘Cute.’ _

Though Rey seemed incredibly focused on her dessert, she didn't miss the fact that Ben was flustered as he worked on the creation of his cake. She’d never seen him running around before like he was a little lost. His vulnerability made her smile, knowing that she was challenging him. However, when it came to decorating, Ben once again became the suave and smooth chef she’d grown to know. His dark chocolate buttercream looked beautiful as he designed his cake, tempering other dark chocolate pieces and creating an abstract look.

As the timer buzzed they put their hands up in the air like on the show. Rey knew Ben would totally be the kind of challenger to accuse her of cheating if she hadn’t.

“Well done,” Ben said as he grabbed his cakestand and brought it over to sit next to Rey’s. He cuts a piece for them to share.

With Rey’s first bite, the cake melted in her mouth. It was beautifully moist and luscious and so deep and intense in that chocolate flavor.

Inevitably, Rey nearly finished the piece of cake without the help of Ben, but he waited patiently for her verdict on his baking skills. 

“Ben, that was delicious. I loved the use of chile and espresso to bring out the richness of the chocolate. Mine next?” 

Ben’s eyes bore into her and she couldn't help but notice the color of them: a dark chocolate brown that nearly matched his cake. Ben nodded as he watched Rey cut a piece of her cake, his gaze darkening by the minute as they sat in close proximity. 

As Rey slid the piece of cake over to Ben, she bounced her knee, fidgeting. Though she was a critic herself, she was always very nervous at the thought of others trying her food. 

Ben took a bite and suddenly got up and walked away, leaving Rey confused. 

_ ‘Wait what,”  _ she thought to herself as she watched Ben pace the kitchen,  _ ‘shit, he hates it, the cake is dry, the flavors aren’t cohesive, I -’ _

“How do you do that?” Ben interrupted her spiraling thoughts with his sudden outburst. “You have no culinary training, no background at the finest pastry and cooking institutions around the world yet you develop flavors so easily! It’s just not fair!” 

Rey smiled, realizing that he was complimenting her and obviously liked her cake very much. She began laughing, causing Ben to halt his pacing immediately.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, looking slightly annoyed.

“I thought you hated it, but then I realized you were complimenting me in your backwards-Ben kind of way.” She leaned over the counter, continuing to laugh, wiping her eyes from the tears slowly forming in them. It was truly a joyous moment for her.

“Of course I was complimenting you, Rey! Taste the finished product!” He forked a piece of the cake and held it up to Rey’s mouth. She let him feed her the piece of cake, and she closed her eyes to savor her flavors. She wiped a few crumbs off her lips before opening her eyes again to find Ben gazing at her intensely. 

“That is good,” she said, smiling brightly as Ben gave her a full smile as well; one she had never had the pleasure of seeing before. 

Rey packed up her and Ben’s cakes, telling him they could keep them at her house for moments when they needed something sweet. Ben agreed, thinking of the excuse to go over to Rey’s again.

“I should get going, your staff will probably be coming in to prep soon won’t they?” Rey asked, loading her arms up with the doggy-boxes. 

“Actually no,” Ben said, surprising Rey and bringing the small wrinkle back between her eyebrows. “We are actually closed this week for concept and menu revision.” 

“Oh, well, then you want to head back to my apartment? We can eat cake, drink coffee, and watch more food network.”

“I do remember the conditions of the competition to include the winner having dinner made for them. And clearly since you won, I’d be happy to make you something. You’ve earned it.” 

Rey smiled at Ben’s kind gesture. She’d love to see him cooking in her kitchen exclusively for her, but there was something she enjoyed more. 

“How about we cook dinner together?” 

Ben smiled at her and grabbed the cake from her hands.

“Deal,” he said as they walked out of the restaurant, turning the lights off behind them and headed back to her yellow bug. 

Rey and Ben did an early dinner since they skipped lunch for their competition. Ben had decided to help Rey make one her favorite dishes: crispy pan roasted chicken thighs with citrus rainbow chard and garlic infused truffle mashed potatoes. 

Rey was blissed out on the couch after the meal and side of cake for dessert, continuing to go back to Ben’s cake instead of hers. As Ben sat with her, they finished watching the Holiday Baking Championship they had started earlier that day. Rey’s head rested on Ben’s shoulder as her eyes grew heavy. Ben smiled as he heard soft snores coming from her. Soon he was off in dreamland too, wrapping his arms firmly around Rey. So much for her new chair.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guy I am so excited!!! I'm going to Disneyland!!! But I had to update for y'all first! hope you like it! Thanks to PandaCapuccino for the Rey Selfie and Alicia for being my amazing beta

* * *

Rey snuggled into the warm pillow that she’d wrapped herself around through the night. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so well, especially on the couch. She heard a soft moan as she hugged the pillow tighter. 

_ ‘Shit, pillows don’t moan,’ _she thought as her eyes opened and her brain turned on. She looked up to find Ben’s head resting on hers, his warm body pressed flush against her. Rey could feel his back muscles underneath her hands and his embrace tightened as she wiggled in his arms.

Her face burned with a bright red blush, anxious at what Ben would think when he woke up.

As if on cue, Ben’s eyes fluttered open and immediately looked down to find Rey staring up at him. 

“Good morning,” he said groggily, unphased by their current position. 

“Hi,” Rey said hesitantly, worried what he’d do when his brain was fully on. 

“What time is it?” 

“Seven,” she said, continuing to gaze at him, afraid that the moment would shatter if she looked away. 

“Want some breakfast?” he asked, surprising her. Ben kissed her forehead as he untangled his arms from her body, making his way to the powder room to relieve himself. 

Her forehead burned under the spot his lips had been.

With the flush of the toilet, she jumped into gear, racing to the coffee maker and shaking out her hair in the reflection of the mirror near her front door. 

Rey yelped as Ben came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Pancakes or waffles?” 

“Waffles,” Rey said, turning in his arms and looking up at him.

_ ‘What the hell is happening?’ _she thought before scurrying away to grab the waffle maker from under the counter.

“I can’t remember the last time I slept so well,” Ben said from the pantry, presumably looking for waffles ingredients. 

“Same,” Rey agreed as she set the waffle maker on the island. Her heart beating out of her chest and she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye. 

_ What was going on between her and Ben? Was this just a friends thing? Did he feel something more for her? Did he _ ** _expect_ ** _ something more from her? This was too much, she needed to talk things out with her friends. _

“Rey. Rey… Rey?” She looked up to Ben saying her name from across the island. “You look perplexed.”

“Perplexed,” she scoffed, “that’s an understatement.” 

She looked away and brought her thumb to her lips, tempted to bite her nails. Ben came to stand next to her by the island, pulling her hand away.

“Rey, I never intended to make you feel uncomfortable. I debated leaving last night. I was prepared to cover you with a blanket and head home. You were just so comfortable, you looked so peaceful and by the sounds of your soft snores, I could tell that you don’t normally let yourself get that comfortable. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. It was selfish.” 

Rey looked into his chocolate brown orbs. He sounded so sincere in his sentiment. She felt her throat growing dry, making it difficult to swallow. Appropriate since it felt like all the air was being sucked away between them. 

“I just need some time,” she managed to verbalize in a raspy voice that neared a whisper. 

Ben kissed her temple and squeezed her hip. “Take all the time you need.”

And just like that he was back to his side of the island again, mixing the waffle batter. Rey’s head continued to spin. 

***

Rey sat in the corner booth of the Castle, waiting anxiously for her friends to arrive. She’d basically called an emergency meeting and anyone who knew her knew it must have been important. 

Rose strode in with Finn moments before Hux and Poe. Phasma came in a few minutes later. After everyone had retrieved their coffees, they joined Rey in the back.

“What’s up, Peanut?” Finn asked. 

“So...I need some advice,” Rey said. “And I cannot do this without each and every one of you.” 

Rose looked around at the group, trying to decipher what her bestie was getting at. What would she need the advice of all these people for? 

“I slept with Ben.” 

The group howled, startling Rey to a point where she realized exactly what her words sounded like. 

_ ‘Fuck!’ _

The band of howling hyenas raged as Rey struggled to reign them back in. 

“Oh my god! No, no, no! Guys! I didn’t sleep with him as in have sex with him! I physically slept with him, cuddled him, but _ nothing _ more.” 

Poe looked at her with disappointment, like a child that just found out there was no Santa Claus. “Awe, Rey, way to ruin the fun!” 

Hux smacked his hot headed boyfriend upside the head. As much as Poe was a good friend of Rey’s, she truly cherished her friendship with his quiet, red-headed boyfriend. They had a lot in common. Hux had gotten placed into the system after his mother died and father gave him up. Rey was lucky to meet him in a group home in London; he’d stood by her side and been her friend ever since, despite the miles that came between them when she was placed with Unkar and moved to New York. 

“Rey, what do you think this is between you and Ben? Do you think it's a one time thing, or do you think he’s starting to care for you?” Hux asked.

“I don’t know,” she said in a struggling tone. “All I know is that when I first met him, he just seemed dead set on getting the article removed or changed or whatever. But then when he came back from Singapore, he seemed different. He said he wanted to be my friend, and his actions were true. One night while I heaved chunks into the toilet, he held my hair back and rubbed circles on my shoulders to soothe me. We’ve hung out and he’s been there for me as a friend and food enthusiast for awhile now.” 

Rose looked agape at her friend. Never had she seen Rey so smitten over someone. She was confused that was for sure, but when she spoke about Ben taking care of her, Rose knew that Rey wanted to pursue this further. She had gathered her friends as second opinions in hopes they’d reaffirm her feelings and encourage her. 

“Does he seem insistent on anything with you, Rey? Did he try to push you into this or entice you into anything?” Finn asked. Rey was Rose’s best friend and his oldest friend, he wanted her to be happy, but also safe and treated well. 

“No! No, nothing like that! He actually said to take all the time I need.” 

Poe, Hux, and Phasma gasped, causing Rey to wonder what she said. Phasma was first to explain. 

“Rey, if Ben told you to take all the time you need, then this is _ big _for him. When he wants something, at least in the kitchen, he wants it now. Then and there. He doesn’t wait. And he gets it that way.” 

“What Phas is trying to say is that if Ben is willing to wait for you to make this decision, he must think you’re truly worth it,” Hux intervened. 

Poe sat with a smug-ass smirk on his face. “Oh, I am gonna have fun with this,” he said speculatively, likely planning to grill his friend and executive chef the next time he saw him. 

Rey rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee, attempting to take in all the advice and information she had received. 

Rose squeezed her shoulder before getting up, followed by Finn. Poe, Hux and Phasma excused themselves to head to work, leaving Rey to sit and stew in her thoughts. 

She was off in the space in her head when a cup was set down on her table. 

Amilyn, Jyn, and Leia sat before her. 

‘_ Shit.” _

“So, Solo got to you?” Amilyn gave her a knowing look. The lavender haired beauty was a wise, but caring editor. Rey hoped she’d be understanding of the situation. Though Rey was mostly concerned about the eldest woman sitting by her side. 

She looked hesitantly over at Leia, not knowing what to expect. She especially was not expecting the smile that graced her face. 

“You’re writing has improved Rey. If it had an aura it would be glowing, much like you are. I don’t need to know what happens between you and my son, but I know it has been nothing but good for the both of you.” 

Rey swallowed hard, trying to avoid her lip quivering, the approval of her editors giving her much joy. She suspected they may have been cross with her due to her professional conduct and association with Ben, but they were able to see they had a bond together, especially over food. Their souls sang the same song. 

Rey looker at her quiet, and final editor. Always a strong silent type, Jyn held a smirk on her face. “Give him hell,” she said.

“Cheers to that!” Amilyn said as they all brought their cups together before sipping on the smooth blend of coffee. 

Maz watched from the coffee bar as Rey smiled brightly. 

*** 

Rey pulled up to _ Ren _ in her yellow bug to find Mitaka manning the valet station once again. 

“Miss Kenobi, what a wonderful surprise. I don’t have any notice that Chef Solo was expecting you, shall I ring the kitchen?” he asked kindly, but with a touch of anxiety laced into his tone. 

“Actually no, do you mind watching my bug? I just want to sneak around the back and pop my head into the kitchen for a moment.” 

“The chefs will be preparing for the dinner service, are you sure there’s nothing I can assist you with?” 

“Positive,” she said as she began to head to the back of the restaurant. Knowing where the service entrance was, Rey noticed Connix, the hostess, entering the building using a keycard. Rey decided she’d take a chance and shoot a text to Poe. 

> To: Poe Dameron
> 
> From: Rey Kenobi 
> 
> Hey, I’m here at Ren, do me a favor? 

She waited for a response as the bubbles populated the screen. 

> To: Rey Kenobi 
> 
> From: Poe Dameron
> 
> Anything. Shoot. 

Rey smiled and immediately shot back her text. 

> To: Poe Dameron
> 
> From: Rey Kenobi
> 
> Make sure Ben has his phone on him.

> To: Rey Kenobi 
> 
> From: Poe Dameron
> 
> He keeps it in the office during restaurant hours. Hold on. 

> Done. Slipped it into his pocket.

> To: Poe Dameron
> 
> From: Rey Kenobi 
> 
> Thanks Poe, IOU

> To: Rey Kenobi 
> 
> From: Poe Dameron
> 
> Yes you do! I’ll think of something you can do for me. But go get your man first. 

Rey smiled and then shot a text off to Ben, taking a selfie from the back door of Ren.

> To: Ben Solo
> 
> From: Rey Kenobi
> 
> Got a second?

Rey watched Ben give a thumbs up to her previous message and waited for him to come to the back door, expecting a surprised chef Solo. 

When he did, Ben wrapped her in a bear sized hug and lifted her off the ground. “Hey, this is a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here? I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon after the other morning.” 

Rey took a deep breath, summoning her courage. “That’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about, and I didn’t want it to wait.” 

Rey noticed the sudden nervous look in Ben’s eyes. He was nervous of her turning him down, rejecting him. She knew she couldn’t do that. Not with how things had progressed and evolved from where they first started. 

“Okay,” he said, his voice suddenly super deep, like he was trying to resist his voice cracking from the tension. 

Rey laced her fingers behind his neck and stepped up on her toes. She brought his lips down to meet hers. The warmth of his lips melted into the cold of hers. The kiss was soft yet firm. She could feel how much he wanted this and he showed her when his tongue glided along the seam of her lips. She smiled against his mouth and let him in, their tongues dancing together as if they knew exactly what to do. Ben’s hands stroked up the side of her body until they were cupping her face. They then made their way into her hair and back behind her neck where she felt like Ben was trying to hold her as close as he could. 

When Rey needed to take a breath for air, she pulled on Ben’s raven locks, causing him to separate his thirsty lips from hers. 

She looked down, trying to hide her blush and catch her breath, but Ben looped his finger under her chin and made her look up into his nearly black eyes. His gaze intense, Ben tucked a lock of hair behind her ears, touching her with a new level of softness. He cupped her face and her eyes slowly shut again as Ben kissed each of her eyelids. He made his way down and kissed her temple before kissing the apples of her cheeks. Rey’s lips parted before he kissed the side of her mouth. A small moan escaped her just as he placed a fleeting kiss to her lips. 

This man would be the death of her. He was sin in a chef’s coat and she could feel desire welling up in her belly. He kissed down her jaw and sucked on her delicate pulse point before peeling away his lips from her skin with a pop. 

Rey felt a shiver down her spine as she let out some shaky breaths. The intensity of Ben’s actions surprised her, but left her wanting more. 

For a moment he simply continued to stare down at her, allowing his mind to catch up with his body. 

“Fuck, I have to go back to work,” he said as he squeezed her tightly again, not wanting to let her go.

“I’m guessing I'd be a bit of a distraction in the kitchen?” she said with a cocky smirk on her lips. 

“Just a bit,” he agreed. 

She stepped unto her toes again and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before untangling herself from his arms. 

“Work hard,” she said as she walked back toward the front of the restaurant to retrieve her car from Mitaka.

“I don’t think that will be an issue,” he said to himself as she walked away. Ben took a second to compose himself before heading back into the kitchen. 

A few moments later, Rey received a text. 

> To: Rey Kenobi
> 
> From: Poe Dameron
> 
> Well done.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to the kitchen!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So much has happened since I last updated! I got rid of social media! THAT'S RIGHT!!! I AM NOT ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TUMBLR OR TWITTER ANYMORE! THANK YOU KELLY MARIE TRAN AND DAISY RIDLEY FOR THE INSPIRATION! We also had some major blockage issues due to TROS and then crappy 2020 with COVID19! But I am back now! I also came out with a new fic! A coffee shop fic (Not like Sunday Mornin')!!! It's called [About the Brew](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23689597/chapters/56875726) . But here I am back to stay! Thank you always to my beta, Alicia!!!

* * *

The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving were filled with little moments that Rey could never forget. 

Like the feeling of Ben’s body pressed firmly against hers as he caged her into the couch and kissed down the slope of her neck, or his arms wrapping tightly around her as he snuck up behind her in the kitchen after they’d made a new recipe for risotto with garlic roasted mushrooms and arugula. She remembered him spinning her around in his arms and kissing her soundly before plunging his tongue into her mouth, the flavor of the dish they’d made still lingering.

Rey had never had this before. This connection. This passion. It was all new and kind of scary, but worth it because it was with Ben. Ben, who proved time and time again to be challenging. Ben, who looked at her with such intensity it felt like he’d burn a hole in her head. Ben, who she knew was tough in the kitchen, but was finessed and soft when it came to her. 

She thought about his soft touches as she wrote her most recent review of a new gelato place in Brooklyn, wishing she’d taken Ben there just so she could watch his tongue swipe over the cold dessert slowly. Ben had a knack for finding seduction in food. Feeding her food or licking food off her fingers. 

They made pasta one day in his kitchen at  _ Ren _ and he started talking about how he was dealing in culinary orgasms. Wanting to make people stop eating when they tasted his food because they were so blown away by the flavor. Rey giggled and blushed like a schoolgirl as he looked at her with adoration. There were days Rey didn’t know what he saw in her. 

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” Ben asked as he drew circles on her legs with his thumbs. Rey sat on the couch with her legs over his lap as the Food Network played in the background. Rey’s computer was open on her lap as she looked up from her gelato article. 

“Well I did Friendsgiving over at Rose and Finn’s place last week. Maz said I’d be welcome to her place for Thanksgiving if I wanted the company, but I don’t know what I am gonna do. I might just stay home, get some turkey thighs from the market and put together a few side dishes.” 

Rey looked up to find Ben giving her a blank stare; he looked befuddled and frustrated. 

‘ _ What did I say?’  _ Rey thought as she studied the look on his face. 

“This is  _ the _ major food holiday and you want to spend it alone versus with your Michelin star winning boyfriend and his family?” Ben asked in a hurt tone. 

“My Michelin star winning boyfriend and his mother who is my  _ boss.” _

“Rey, my mother loves you. Don’t think just because she is your boss that she doesn’t love you. My whole family will love you. Just like…” Ben trailed off before finishing his sentence, looking intently at the screen. 

Rey looked at him skeptically with one raised eyebrow. She caught the blush spread rapidly across his cheeks to the tops of his ears. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. 

“I’d love to spend Thanksgiving with you.” 

He looked over to her, quickly looking her up and down with his eyes before stealing a kiss. He grabbed her computer and placed it on her coffee table as she giggled while he laid her back against the couch cushions. 

*** 

Rey stood at the front door of what she assumed to be the childhood home of Ben Solo. She looked around and felt warmth radiating from the home. It felt comfortable and safe. She tentatively knocked at the door. 

“Rey! Welcome honey, oh my gosh, what are you doing? It's freezing out here! Get inside!” Leia said in a stream of words so fast Rey nearly missed what she had said before she was being ushered into the house. 

The feel of the foyer was warm and inviting, and served to help calm Rey’s fluttering nerves. A man that shared some very prominent features with Ben strolled into the room. Rey’s first assumption was this to be Ben’s father, but when she paired the man with Leia, it didn’t quite fit right. 

“Rey, pleasure to meet you. My name is Han. I am the scoundrel in this house of royalty.” He shook her hand firmly as he smirked at her. 

_ Ah, that makes more sense. Han was the black sheep of the family.  _

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she said as she glanced at his hands, noticing bits of grease still under his nails, despite a well-done scrubbing Leia had urged on his part. 

“Sorry, my line of work doesn’t permit the royal hygiene that has come to be expected in my house.” 

“Oh it doesn’t bother me. Before I got into cooking, I was almost always covered in grease and dust instead of sugar and flour.” 

“No kidding, what kind of work were you in? You hardly look like a girl that likes to get down and dirty.” 

“Han!” “Dad!” Ben and Leia simultaneously yelled at him. Rey just smiled, unaffected by the man. In fact, she actually felt quite comfortable in his company. 

“It’s okay,” she smiled, wrapping her arm with Ben’s and placing her hand on his bicep, “I did hard labor as a minor. Let’s just say my guardian took advantage of some extra hands to get dirty.” 

Leia and Han both looked at Rey with stunned faces. It is true, Rey hadn’t told Leia about that part of her past, just her orphan status. She hoped that wouldn’t change the way that Leia looked at her though. 

“Damn,” Han said softly, his voice had taken on a somber tone, but Rey knew it came with the territory of the discussion. She didn’t need pity, nor did she mind it though. It was a natural instinct for people to feel sad - not just for orphans - but for children that didn’t get the right cards in the system. 

“Well, we are just glad to have you here now, Rey!” Leia said cheerfully as she guided everyone to the kitchen, Ben wrapping his arm around Rey and kissing her temple. 

Rey was introduced to three men that all had very different looks about them and none of them looked at all like they belonged in the family. 

The tall gentleman that had a shaggy brown, black, and greying beard was introduced as Ben’s uncle Chewie. He was notably the tallest person Rey had ever met, standing even taller than Ben. Chewie wrapped her up in a bear sized hug that lifted her feet from the ground before returning her to Ben’s side.

The second man was a dark-skinned gentleman with a full head of greying black hair and grey mustache, he was dressed in a fancy silk yellow long-sleeved shirt that Rey found to be a bit extravagant for her taste, but seemed to fit his personality. Lando, Ben’s other uncle, greeted her with a kiss on the knuckles and smooth, “en chante”, before Rey slid her hand away with an appropriate retort of “pleasure”.

Finally, the last man had salt and pepper hair that was longer, like Ben’s, and a beard unlike Chewie’s (groomed and short). Luke gave her a firm handshake while dishing a side glance at Ben that appeared skeptical in Rey’s point of view. Unlike Ben’s other uncles, Luke didn’t hesitate to question Ben and Rey’s relationship. 

“She’s with you? Seriously? How’d  _ you _ get that lucky?” 

“I actually hated him when we first met.” 

Everyone, except Leia, looked at Rey. They were clearly shocked by the words that came out of her mouth. 

“All right, all right, we’ll exchange stories at dinner! Food’s hot, let’s eat!” Leia declared.

Rey giggled and grabbed a plate as her and Leia were ushered to the front of the line. Chewie carved the bird as if he were a skilled butcher and served Rey the dark meat she requested. Rey then scooped a good serving of handmade mashed potatoes, fresh green beans with brown buttered almonds, and sweet potato casserole onto her plate. After she sat down at the table, she was served her spinach salad and pumpkin soup by Leia. 

“Thank you,” she said as she looked at her gratefully. She felt so blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful group on such a special day. 

The pumpkin soup was seasoned with many of the warm flavors of the season, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and topped with a beautiful golden brown puff pastry. 

The crumbly sound of the puff pastry breaking under her spoon was music to her ears and made her mouth water. She was three or four bites into her soup when Luke once again brought up her first meeting of Ben. 

“Well, I work for Leia and her company as one of their food bloggers, and I was invited to dine and review Ben’s restaurant by his sous chef,” she looked over at Ben who smiled at her and ran his hand down to her knee and squeezed it, encouraging her to continue. 

“Long story short, I wrote him a review he didn’t really care for, he threatened me, I shamed him, he took my advice, and from there we became closer and closer before I finally decided to make a move.” 

“After we slept together,” Ben said before stuffing some food in his mouth with a smirk. 

“Benjamin Organa Solo!” “HaHaHa” “Oh man!” A round of exclamations followed. 

Rey smacked his shoulder. 

“Sleep as in fall asleep on my couch, not the other meaning of the word!” she corrected him with a glare. 

Ben chuckled and continued eating his food. After that, everyone fell into smaller, more intimate conversations. Han discussed his job with Rey, who listened more intently then he, Ben or Leia expected. When Rey began discussing things of equal standing, she earned a surprised look from Ben and Leia yet again.

“Umm, Rey…” Ben leaned down to speak softly into her ear, as his parents began bickering about something at the table, “how did you know so much about the stuff my dad was talking about?”

She looked at him and smiled. She didn’t realize that she hadn’t shared that piece of her life with him before.

“I was a mechanical engineering student before I changed my major to writing with a minor in the culinary arts. My passion for food won out my ability to create and work on things with my hands.” 

Ben mulled over the information she gave him. He knew she was a student, but he never realized that he forgot to ask in what area she studied. 

“You continue to surprise me,” he said as he gave her a small crooked smile and leaned down to place a chaste kiss to her lips. 

Rey and Ben began clearing plates as everyone finished, Leia took the small pile of plates from Rey’s hands and shooed her off to the living room.

“You’re a guest, why don’t you and Ben go sit. Luke and I will take care of these.”

Rey found her way over to the couch where Ben had saved her a seat.

“So, Ben, how’s the revamp of the restaurant going? We gonna be able to eat there any time soon?” 

Ben laughed at his uncle Lando, Rey simply waiting for him to answer. She and Ben hadn’t broached the topic of his restaurant for quite some time. She didn’t want to bring up anything that may cause him to question the reason he was with her, let alone be subject to ridicule again for her writing or opinions she held for the restaurant. She had seen Ben’s other style of cooking and she had voiced how wonderful it was, so she didn’t see why it’d be necessary to review the restaurant once again. 

“You guys are welcome anytime,” Ben said, “I’ll save you the best seat in the house.” 

Rey smiled, proud that Ben had come so far from the pretentious chef that he was when they’d first met. 

After coffee and pie had been served, Rey yawned and Ben took the hint it was time for her to head home. 

As they stood by the front door in the foyer, Ben looked down at Rey as she wrapped her scarf back around her neck and Ben helped with her coat. 

“That invitation goes to you too, Rey,” He said, his hands resting on her shoulders as she was faced away from him.

Rey leaned back into his chest, Ben wrapping her up in his arms. 

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea, Ben. What would it look like for me if I went back and changed my review after we started dating? I don’t want to be tagged as a blogger or critic who is easily swayed in her beliefs, plus it’ll just make it look like I was being nice because you’re my boyfriend now. How could it be looked at as credible?” 

They swayed back and forth together as Ben considered Rey’s insight. He turned her around and tucked his finger under her chin, making her look at him. 

“I just meant you’re welcome back at the restaurant anytime, Rey. Not as a critic, or a food blogger, or a paying customer, but as my guest, my family.”

Rey inhaled sharply as if she had just come up from breath from a near drowning, as if she’d just been drenched in a bucket of ice water. 

Ben took her hand and walked her out to her bug, opening the door for her. 

“You’re alright to drive?” 

Rey simply nodded, still unable to form a cohesive sentence. Ben bent down and kissed her cheek, hesitating before pulling away.

“I love you,” he said, his nose still brushing the side of her cheek as he waited for a response.

Rey turned to face him, her nose grazing his before she sealed their lips in a firm kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she pulled him as close as she could. She knew she didn’t need to say it back, he knew. He smiled under her kiss as they came up for air in the crisp autumn night. 

“Goodnight,” she said as he rested his forehead to hers before she ducked down into her bug.

She pulled away from the curb and drove down the street. 

“Goodnight,” Ben said before he turned around, only to find his entire family standing in the doorway smiling at him. 

“Atta boy,” Han said before everyone headed back into the house, Ben wrapping his arm around Leia’s shoulder before Luke closed the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment!


End file.
